Container



May 30, 1933. H B WALTER 1,911,216

CONTAINER Filed Sept. 26, 1931 Z7 Z6 J7 i l i J0 f2 J3 H 5 i f yg Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRISON B. WALTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CONTAINER CORPORATION OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CONTAINER Application led September 26, 1931.

This invention relates to containers and more particularly to containers formed from paper or fibre board and adapted to protect relatively heavy articles having delicate parts thereon likely to be injured by rough handling unless adequately protected. The present invention finds particular applicability for use in shipping dry cell batteries of elongated rectangular form having a plurality of conductor terminale or connectors along or adjacent an edge thereof.

@ne object of the invention is to provide a container of the class described which is simple in form, inexpensive and economical to manufacture and which may be conditioned or set up with a minimum of time and eort to adequately protectthe battery or similar object. A further object is to provide a construction which permits ready removal of the battery or ready access to the terminals for testing` purposes; and, after the battery hasl been tested, permits the container to be again'conditioned for operative service without the use of securing means other than a frictional fitting of the various parts of the container.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawing:

F ig. l is a view showing my improved container enclosing a battery., the container being shown in section substantially along the line l-l of Fig. Q, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a view taken at right angles to Fig, l, and showing the container in section along the line 2-2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of preferred forms of blanks from which the present container is constructed..

Serial No. 565,236.

The present invention provides a container particularly advantageous for the shipment and storage of dry cell batteries and similar articles where it is desiredto afford access to the article from time to time, so as to determine its condition without destroying the eliicacy of the package. lVhere it is desired to pack dry cell batteries having terminals or connecting members on one face thereof, the present invention is ideally suited to afford all the necessary protection, as well as ready access to the terminals for testing and, at the same time, provides a very simple and ineX- pensive container.

The present invention, as disclosed, comprises a six sided container completely enclosing abattery or similar article, and includes a pad or spacingmember lying between the top of the battery and the top wall of the container and separated from the terminals, whereby the terminals are not contacted laterally and are contacted either not at all or very lightly by the top wall of the container. The pad .is preferably so ar-l ranged as to be interengaged with a suitable flap or flaps on one or more side walls, whereby the pad and the side wall flaps mutually operate to maintain the side walls and the top wall in container forming relation.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown at 5 a conventional form of dry cell battery having terminals 6, 6, 6 on one surface thereof for the purpose of connecting conductor wires thereto. For the 86 sake of simplicity of description, the face of the battery which bears the terminals will be terlned the top of the battery, and that wall of the container adjacent the top of the battery will be termed the top wall of the container. i

According to the present embodiment of the invention, the container is preferably made of two independentsheets or strips 7 y and 8 of libre or paper board, and for this purpose a resilient material such as so-called corrugated board .is deemed preferable.

The sheet or strip 7 in the present instance is suitably scored to provide a top wall 9, side walls 10 and 11 and sections 12 and 13 interposed between one side wall and the top wall to provide a reversely bent portion forming an integral pad adapted to rest on the top of the battery to maintain the top wall spaced from the top of the battery whereby such top wall is substantially out of contact with the terminals. The inward extent of the sections 12 and 13 is such as to clear the terminals suiiiciently, but at the same time this pad should extend inward sufliciently to prevent the top wall being crushed in by rough handling with consequent damage to the terminals. Any suitable construction may be provided for maintaining the side walls 10 and 11 in contact with the sides of the battery. For this purpose the side walls 10 and 11 may be joined, if desired, by a wall contacting the entire bottom of the battery but, in the present instance, there is provided, at the free end of each of the walls, a flap 14 adapted to be frictionally engaged between the bot-tom of the battery and the true bottom wall of the container, presently to be described.

The sheet or strip S cooperates with the strip 7 to completely enclose the battery. This strip 8 comprises a section 15 forming t-he bottom wall and sections 16, 16 forming the remaining side walls. The free end of each of the side walls 16 is provided with a flap 17 of suitable length so that these flaps may be inserted between the pad above mentioned and the adjacent top wall 9.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the strips 7 and 8 may be prepared the proper size and suitably scored for shipping in a flat condition to the user. One convenient method of packing a battery is to first lay out the strip S and place the battery upright thereon; then insert one flap 14 of the strip 9 between the bottom wall 15 and the bottom of the battery. Next, the strip 7 is brought entirely around the battery and its other lap 14 is likewise inserted in place below the battery. The top wall 9 is then bent down so that the pad formed by portions 12 and 13 is snugly disposed between the top wall and the top of the battery and resting thereagainst with its edge preferably in laterally spaced relations to the terminals G, 6. The next step is to swing the side walls upwardly and insertl t-he flaps 17 17 between the pad and the top wall 9, thus completing the package. lf desired, the flaps 17, 17 may be partially crushed along their outer edges, as indicated at 17a, in order to facilitate their insertion between the pad and the top wall.

hen it is desired to test the battery, it is apparent that all that is necessary is to swing the side walls 16, 16 outwardly to disengage the flaps 17, 17 from between the pad and the top wall of the container. When this has been done the pad section may be straightcned out to permit upward swinging of the top wall 9, thus leaving considerable free space above the terminals for the insertion of testing instruments. On the other hand, if desired, th-e battery may be completely eX- posed to view by removing one of the laps 14 and swinging its attached wall entirely over the battery.

It is further apparent that containers made in accordance with the present invention may be completed from the scored strips 7 and 8 without resorting to the use of securing means such as staples, adhesive or gummed tape. Thus the present container, while being formed from a minimum amount of material, affords all of the advantages of protection and accessibility of testing purposes, and none of the disadvantages as regards the use of securing means.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, numerous changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A fibre or paper board container for a. battery or the like, said container comprising two side walls, a top wall integrally connected to at least one of said side walls, a reversely bent portion integrally connected to a top and side wall and disposed at the juncture of said walls, said reversely bent portion being adapted. to lie between said top wall and the top of the battery to provide a pad extending part way over the battery and forming a space between the top wall and the top of the battery whereby the usual battery terminals are protected, said container also including a bottom wall and an additional pair of side walls, said last mentioned side walls being hingedly connected to said bottom wall at one end, the other end thereof being free and provided with tuck-in flaps adapted to be inserted and frictionally retained between the top wall and said integral pad.

and the top of the battery whereby the usual battery terminals are protected, said container also including a bottom wall and an additional pair of side Walls, at least one of said side Walls being hingedly joined to an adjacent Wall and having a free edge thereof provided with a flap extension adapted to be inserted and frictionally retained between the top Wall and said integral pad.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of September, 1931.

HARRISON B. WALTER. 

